Four Fashion Brands Killing It On Social

As someone who helps brands market their products every day, I like to think I’m pretty savvy when it comes to other brands marketing to me. But lately, I’ve been falling hard for a few fashion companies that really know their way around the internet.

Today, millennial-focused brands live and die by the internet, but some companies are navigating those waters much better and more authentically than others. It’s easy to start a Snapchat account and Instagram a few photos of models in a studio, but what’s not easy is making people care.

Below you’ll find four brands that are breaking through that barrier, each using their own voice to speak to their core audience (aka me) in a way that feels authentic and real.

Everlane

I’d love to say that my purchasing decisions come directly from the quality of product being sold and the values a company holds. But, that’s a lie. Let’s be real: I wouldn’t even know that Everlane sells responsibly-sourced minimalist basics if they didn’t find a way to reach me online. (note: I am self-aware enough to know that this paragraph is the most millennial thing ever written.)

I am basically a walking billboard for Everlane, and would like to applaud them for really making me feel like the hundreds of dollars I send their way over the course of the year are going to a good, responsible home.

Everlane’s transparency around the factories they work with and the pricing of their clothing carries over into their social channels in some pretty interesting ways. They are one of the few brands that have convinced me to follow their Snapchat channel, where their social team gives behind-the-scenes access to new launches, hosts a “Transparency Tuesday” session each week, and replies to every single message that someone sends them. Take my money, Everlane. You deserve it.

Girlfriend Collective

But Everlane isn’t the only company using the internet in interesting ways. A few months ago, a fashion start up called Girlfriend Collective decided to do something pretty weird: Give out $60 leggings for free*.

Because I am a total sucker for athleisure, I fell for this hard. After you enter your information, you’re told the leggings won’t arrive for a few months. So what happens next? Well, obviously I followed their brand on Instagram so I could stay up to date on when I was going to get my leggings. These people geniuses.

I have yet to see the quality of these leggings, but no matter what the outcome, the brand now has my attention. Let’s see what they do with it.

*Well, not totally free, as you still had to pay the cost of shipping, but still!

Calvin Klein

Talk about a comeback.

I hadn’t thought about Calvin Klein in years, until all of the sudden they started showing up all over my Instagram feed. Logos were out for quite some time, but it seems that alongside recent logo-forward launches like IVY PARK, Calvin Klein’s iconic brand is back, and plastered all over social media’s biggest stars.

The brand’s #MyCalvins campaign has featured the likes of Kylie Jenner and Gigi Hadid — some of the buzziest models on social media today. The hashtag currently has 390,000-plus photos on instagram, and nearly every celebrity seems to be getting in on the action. I even saw the product on sale while strolling through Urban Outfitters last weekend. If that doesn’t make it cool with the teens, I’m not sure what does. Well played, Calvin Klein.

Kylie Jenner

The Kardashians are truly geniuses. If you don’t believe me, just watch Kylie Jenner promote her mega-selling, forever-out-of-stock Lip Kits.

Kyle Jenner is only 18 years old, but it seems age is only a number when you have millions of social followers (and your own app). Kylie repps her Lip Kits across all her social channels, announcing when kits will go on sale — and inevitably, when they are gone. She talks about her Lip Kits on her Snapchat channel, and also does exclusive giveaways through her app, which I have no photos of because I will not pay $2.99 a month to watch Kylie make candied yams, thank you very much.

In addition to just posting photos of her Lip Kits, Kylie also shares photos of her fans wearing the different shades. This not only rewards the small number of her fans that are featured on her channes, but also encourages people to buy product and share on social in the small chance their photo might just end up plastered across Kylie’s Twitter feed.

I have yet to purchase a lip kit, but I am probably about the only young woman alive that can say that. I see you Kylie, and I respect your hustle.